Happily(?) Married
by TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere
Summary: AU. Raven Branwen was a warrior, down to her bones. Being a housewife was far from her list of priorities. At the very least, however, things will be peaceful for Ruby and Yang since they still have a mother figure in their lives, right? ...right! [Primarily Slice-of-Life and interconnected one-shots]


_**PROLOGUE**_

The last time Raven had attended a funeral, it had been a relatively short affair. All there was to that time was simply burying the body, marking the grave, saying a few things and then leaving.

Summer Rose's funeral was far more somber.

Almost the entire town of Patch had gathered. The woman had been perhaps one of the most social Remnant had seen, virtually capable of making friends with almost everyone she met. Everyone was dressed in black, even Taiyang and the little ones, who clung to him while Qrow held an umbrella over them. It was raining, making the event worse than it already was. Initially, there had been plans for the headstone to be far grander, but Taiyang thought it was better to be simple. A small little stone of marble with the Rose marker engraved, complete with the family motto.

 _Summer Rose_

" _Thus I Kindly Scatter"_

 _I really do hate the rain._

Everyone was more or less a sobbing mess. Taiyang looked like a damned wreck, ready to shamble to pieces. His eyes were red, there were dark rings under his eyes, and he looked ready to fall over. He was thin, far too thin. If a gust of wind blew right now, he'd probably fall over. Yang held on to her father's pants leg, tears falling from her face. Little Ruby just looked confused, not that she blamed her. She was still too young.

Far, far too young.

Raven only appeared after the proceedings were done and everyone had gone home for the day. She didn't like being involved in crowds, especially ones as large as these. She stepped out into the clearing, uncaring of the fact that she was more or less becoming soaked. She couldn't care less about getting wet. She did her best to shield her bouquet, though.

Kneeling down, she set the bouquet on the grave. Unlike the vast majority of the people who attended her funeral, which were white, Raven had brought black roses.

Summer told her once that they were her favorite kind. Supposedly, they were just like Raven. If that made any sense whatsoever. Honestly, how was she anything like black roses?

Now, if she said she had thorns…

The feeling of rain drops ceased. Instead, she could hear the sound of it splattering against something thin. Looking up, she found an umbrella hanging over her. "You're going to catch a cold like that, Raven." Qrow admonished her, standing behind her with his umbrella over her. "Didn't you bring an umbrella with you?"

"Didn't see the point." Raven replied evenly, looking at the grave. It was beautiful, really. Positioned at the cliff, where Summer had spent most of her days, looking out at the sunset and sunrise every day, thinking it was a brand new beginning for her. The flowers that decorated it only added to its beauty.

Which made it even more disgusting.

"You know, if you glare at it any harder, that grave's gonna burn."

"Good." she hissed. "This isn't even a real grave. There's no body in it. Nothing, except for the cloak she wore back during our days at Signal. Calling it a grave is insulting. Its a monument. It's a _mockery_."

Qrow sighed. "Yeah… You aren't the only one."

Raven stood up, wiping the dirt and mud from her knees before she looked at Qrow. His tie was barely intact, his shirt was disheveled and stained, and his lower jaw was covered in peach fuzz. Her nose wrinkled when she smelled something foul coming off him. "Please tell me you bathed."

"Actually, that would be the brandy."

"Since when did you start drinking?"

"Since Oz told us what happened." At this, a heavy silence fell upon them. The older Branwen lowered her head, shoulders trembling and her bangs hiding her eyes. Qrow stretched out a hand, but pulled it back. He knew better than to do that. Plus, if he tried, he'd end up losing his hand. The only person she allowed to touch her was Taiyang, and even then, there were limits. "Look, sis. I know you blame Oz. I do too."

She gave him a bitter laugh. "Really?" she said, raising her head to reveal burning red irises. "Doesn't seem like it."

"We've all got different ways of showing our anger, Raven."

"Whatever." Shaking her head, Raven rudely bumped into his shoulder. She didn't bother to apologize. She felt too tired. Too drained. Too...exhausted. Gods, when was the last time she felt like this? When did she start feeling so _weak_? "Tell Ozpin I'm done fighting for him. And tell him, if I catch him around our house, I'll kill him."

Qrow said nothing. He watched her retreat, fading away into the forest. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair before looking down at Summer's mock grave. "I guess Tai ain't the only one taking this hard." he muttered, bending down and rubbing the rose symbol over his head. "I wish you were here, Sum. Because, at this rate… I don't think those two aren't gonna last."

A tear dropped from his face, staining one of the black roses from Raven's bouquet.

"Fuck, _I_ don't think I'll last much longer..."

* * *

 _-Patch, a few years ago...-_

* * *

Getting pregnant and having a child had been the last thing Raven had in mind. Falling in love was a mistake on her part, one that she was sorely dealing with. _At least now I understand why mother swore she'd never get pregnant again._ She thought groggily as she pulled herself out of the hosptial bed. Her medical garments were already thrown away, in favor of her more casual clothes: a black yukata and pants, though sadly she had no footwear. Not that she was bothered by it all that much. She was content being barefoot. The cold kept her alert, on edge.

Being raised by bandits, Raven had learned to keep her senses sharp. To never let her guard down, no matter where she was. Even if a place was safe, she never wandered far without her beloved sword at her side. For that, she was thankful to her team for somehow convincing the doctors to allow it near her. A security blanket, Qrow lied. A memento.

Well, he wasn't wrong. Her weapon had been the last gift she ever received from her father before she gutted the bastard. It was a long story.

Originally, she was going to leave and head back to the camp. She needed to get away from...all of this. From Vale. From Patch. From Team STRQ. If things kept up, she was going to become dull. She'd grow complecant. _Weak._

She would never allow herself to become weak.

 _But… What about the little one?_

Her newborn child. Little Yang Xiao Long. She wanted to at least see the girl that was now her daughter. Finding the room where all the little brats were being held wasn't too hard. It was actually finding Yang among them that was a pain in the ass.

She walked in between two isles, only to stop when she saw movement to her side. Looking down at the little crib, she found a baby stirring, as if restless. Leaning down, she saw flabby, baby skin, but surprisingly fair for a newborn. There was even signs of a bit of a muscle. A fighter. Its eyes then began to flutter open, revealing beautiful lilac eyes.

Taiyang's eyes.

"Hello, little one." Raven smiled thinly, gently pulling little Yang out of the crib. Yang stirred about, as if in protest before she started to settle down. Then she started to make little sounds, not overly annoying or close to crying, but more along the sound of joy, as if basking in her warmth.

She was...beautiful.

Idly, Raven wondered if this was how she looked in her mother's eyes when she was born, only to banish those thoughts. She realized how her parents thought of her when she was old enough to start remembering things, even the littlest details. She was seen as weak and frail. Detrimental to the tribe. And they did not tolerate weakness in the least. When she was barely old enough to pick up a stick to use as an impromptu weapon, they taught her to fight.

She could still remember the bruises and the miserable cries she let out during each session.

It was during those days that Raven realized what it meant to be weak. So she swore that she would _never_ be weak again. When she was barely twelve, she and her brother finally then decided to put their skills to the test.

No one in the tribe cried for the death of their father at their hands. Not even their mother, who looked at them with pride, unaware that soon, she too would meet the same fate as her dead lover.

Little Yang was the same as she was back then. So weak and frail. Had she been born into the tribe, she would have no doubt undergone the same training she did, whether she liked it or not. So long as Grandmother Branwen as leading the tribe, any chance of a semi-normal life was impossible.

 _Granny Branwen must be wondering why we haven't returned, even though we completed our Huntsmen training not too long ago._ Raven thought, still holding on to Yang. The baby wrapped her tiny little hands around her pinky finger, as if trying to wrestle with it. _If she found out I had a child…_

She shuddered, not daring to think of the consequences. She knew Qrow wouldn't want to return to the tribe. Their time here had changed him. Back then, he hardly ever smiled and took things far too seriously. But hanging around Taiyang and Summer made him loosen up. Smiling more often. Joking. Even protecting people weaker than him.

Forget her, Grandmother Branwen would _kill_ Qrow for becoming so soft. And who knows what kind of punishment she would come up for her.

It wouldn't be long before their prolonged absence would cause her to start looking into why they were gone so long. And when she did find out, there was going to be hell to pay. Little Yang let out a small whine. Looking down, Raven saw her baby girl frowning at her. "You can tell how you're mother's thinking, can't you?" she said with a sad smile. "You're a smart girl."

Yang's beaming smile made her heart flutter. And then she blushed in realization. Was this what it was like to be domesticated? Wait, why in the hell was she comparing herself to a damned animal?! Sure, she could turn herself into a bird, but she wasn't a pet for fuck's sake.

She blamed her thoughts on Taiyang, the bastard. She still didn't understand how the man managed to worm his way into her heart. That smile, that cheerfulness and optimism, all of it somehow made him endearing. And she always found herself drawn to him. Somehow, her made her life feel like it was better than it was. That the whole world wasn't as cold, dark and dreary as it had been when she was born into it.

 _Which was why she felt all the more horrible for what she knew she had to do._

If she stayed any longer, Taiyang and the baby would be in danger. Summer would be in danger. Qrow could handle himself, they were siblings after all, but the others wouldn't last a minute against her grandmother. That, and if she stayed with Taiyang… She would grow weak. She couldn't afford to grow weak or sentimental.

Especially if what Ozpin said was true.

"Raven?"

She went still for a moment, but then relaxed when she recognized the voice. Raven turned around and found Summer standing there, wearing a thin white hoodie with a light gray turtleneck and knee-length skirt. "Hey." she greeted as she turned to face her Team Leader, showing her Yang. "Want to see the rugrat?"

"I already did." Summer told her with a giggle, walking over to her best friend. "Taiyang made such a fuss. He's asleep in the waiting room, by the way. I asked the nurse if it was okay to borrow a blanket to cover him up with."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Summer told her. She then looked down at Yang. The little tyke saw her and immediately gushed, reaching out for her. Summer's face turned positively goofy as she went to coo over the baby, ticking its cheeks. "Oh, you are so adorable~ Who's a cutie? Yes you are, yes you are~! Oooh, I can hardly wait to see who you take after!"

Raven paused to think about that for a moment. She remembered how some children usually tended to take after their parents. When she thought about Yang could grow up to be when she turned older, with traits from herself and Taiyang…

… _that sounds more horrifying than this Salem._

Immediately, Raven purged the thought with extreme prejudice, hoping that such a thing were to never come to pass. And god help her if she grew up to be like her brother. She could hardly deal with Qrow as he was. Last thing she needed was another one. Then again, she would be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to seeing the tiny little baby kicking ass with her bare hands or with a blade.

"So, what're you doing out of bed?" Summer asked, making Raven silently curse. Why did she have to ask that? Couldn't she have just kept cooing at the baby? "I don't think you should be out of bed yet. I mean, don't you still have stretch marks?"

Of course she had stretch marks! And they _fucking hurt_ like hell too! Though she didn't blame the baby for that. She just mostly blamed Taiyang, since he was the one who got her pregnant in the first place.

Still, Raven wasn't sure how to answer. She could tell the truth, but Summer would like tear her a new one. She was beautiful and scary that way. She could also lie, but she knew damn well that Summer would be able to spot it a mile away.

Besides, she couldn't lie to Summer. Not after everything she's done for her. Not after everything they…

Raven sighed. Gently, she set Yang back into her crib. The baby protested, but she pressed her lips against her small little forehead, pulling the blanket over her. Somehow, this was enough to pacify the little tyke, and shortly after, she fell back asleep. Then she turned back to Summer. Given the look on her face, she seemed to already have a good idea why she was out of bed and in her casual clothes.

"...are you going somewhere?"

"I'm heading back home." she answered. "There's...something I need to do there."

"Are you coming back?"

"...if you want an honest answer, Summer, I..." Raven struggled to finish that sentence. She couldn't find the right words. They continued to elude her. She grimaced and groaned, her face falling into her hands. "Fuck, why did you have to come? I could've just slipped out without anyone noticing."

Summer frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "Missy, if you think I'm letting you walk out of here without giving you a piece of my mind, you have another thing coming."

"Look, it's-it's complicated."

"So complicated you can't tell your husband and girlfriend?"

Her face flushed. "T-that's…!"

"Raaaveeen..."

After two minutes of useless fumbling and attempts to dissuade her, Raven had no choice. She told Summer the truth. The _whole_ truth. Why she and Qrow enrolled at Beacon Academy in the first place. That they enrolled to learn how to kill Huntsmen. And how that goal had begun to change, especially near the end of their first year together. Raven was also forced to reveal the truth about her family: particularly her relationship with her parents and her Grandmother.

Surprisingly, Summer had taken it well. She was patient and unusually quiet. When Raven finished, Summer finally spoke up to break the uncomfortable silence that followed after. "So… Long story short, you and Q-Man came to learn to how to kill Huntsmen, but you found out how awesome being good was, and your family are a bunch of assholes?"

"You've been hanging out with my brother again, haven't you." It wasn't a question. The only time Summer ever swore was whenever she hung out with Qrow. But that was an accurate summation. "Granny Branwen is...she's worse than my parents ever were, Summer. To her, strength isn't just a weakness. It's a _sin_ that needs to be purged. At worst, she'd kill Yang if she ever found out about her. And that is to say nothing about my brother, either."

"Wow. She sounds like a fun person."

"You have no idea." Raven groaned. "If I go back and give her some kind of excuse, she _might_ just choose not to do something horribly rash."

"But you don't know for certain."

"It's not the best plan."

Summer gave her a deadpan look. "That's because it isn't. In fact, it sucks." Raven winced. Well, hadn't she become awfully blunt? "You know what? Let me talk to her!"

Raven opened her mouth to respond, then her brain went blank. A minute passed before it was forced to reboot. She closed her mouth and stared at Summer as if she were insane. Actually, no. Scratch that. She _was_ insane. She had to be. Either that, or Raven had gone senile. She prayed it was the former.

"...I'm sorry. I think I just heard you say you wanted to talk to Granny Branwen."

"No, you heard me right."

"Ah, okay." A pause. Then she screamed. " _Are you out of your fucking mind_?!"

Summer gasped. "Ray! Language!"

"I don't give a flying fuck! Didn't I just get done telling you what my family is like?!"

Summer nodded and folded her arms. "Look, we won't know unless we try, right?" she said, making Raven fume. She wasn't listening at all! She couldn't believe this! How the actual hell had Team STRQ survived underneath this lunatic's leadership?! Actually, nevermind. She didn't want to know the answer. "It'll just be us two women talking!"

"Talking." Raven stressed, groaning as she palmed her face. She looked back at Summer and realized, much to her dismay, she was dead serious. And if she knew Summer well enough, she knew that saying "no" wasn't going to work forever. "...just know, that if we both die because of your stupidity, I will find a way to bring us both back to life, just so I can kill you over and over again."

Summer smirked. "Oh, you know you love me. Now, hurry up and open up that portal! Let's go meet my grandmother-in-law!"

-o-

Qrow had only just arrived to the hospital to see his new niece and to see how his sister was doing when he found a distraught Taiyang pacing in the lobby, holding his baby daughter in his arms, wrapped in a tight bundle of bright yellow sheets.

"Tai? What's-?"

"Have you seen Raven or Summer anywhere?!" was the first thing that spilled out of Tai's mouth. The poor man looked like a wreck. He looked like a mix of worry, anger and fear. "I've been looking everywhere! The nurse's said that Raven's stuff was gone, including her sword, and nobody's seen Summer! Not since she left me here!"

"Whoa, clam down." Qrow held up his hands. It was too damn early in the morning for this shit. "The hell's going on?"

Taiyang stepped back, shame present. "Sorry, I'm-I'm just all out of sorts. Between Yang being here after months of waiting and Raven's mood swings, I-I..." The poor man looked close to hyperventalating. Qrow understood why he felt this way, but damn. The last time he saw somebody this panicked, he had offered them a drink.

Not that he had any alcohol on his person. He had been considering it as of lately, what with Ozpin asking him to do shit. All work and no play, man.

"Nobody's seen Raven or Summer?"

Taiyang shook his head. "No. All of Raven's personal effects are gone, and nobody's seen Summer since she left the lobby." His eyes widened as a horrible thought occurred to him. "Y-You don't think that they could've-?!"

The sound of a sword slicing through air cut him off. The two men whirled around to find a black-and-red portal opening up behind them. Stepping out from it was a very tired and worn-out looking Raven Branwen, looking as if she had just run an entire marathon on one leg. After her came Summer, who-

"Summer?!"

In spite of the fact that she was beaming, Summer looked like she had been caught in a tornado. There were several cuts and bruises across her face, her cloak was practically in tatters and she was sporting a pulsating black eye. "Hey boys! Hope we didn't keep you waiting!"

"Sum, the hell happened?!" Qrow cried. "You look like shit!"

"Oh, I just met my grandmother-in-law! She was _seriously_ way too uptight! And way too serious!" Summer said with a grin. Qrow realized who exactly she meant and choked, staring incredulously at Raven, who could only groan and hold her head in her hands in embarrassment. "We kind of came to agreement after I kicked her butt, though! Guess what, Tai? You and Raven can finally get hitched!"

Taiyang blinked, hopelessly confused. "...huh?"

"Kill me." Raven begged, still unsure whether what happened only mere hours ago had actually happened or not. "Just kill me now and let me wake up from this weird dream."

Five months later, Raven Branwen was officially Raven Xiao-Long…


End file.
